Luggage tag



FIG. 1.

D. A. LONG ET AL LUGGAGE TAG FiLed April 7. 1967 INVEA/TQES DONALD A. LONG,

M44052 l VMos/me, Je.

MAHONEY 6: Ham/amaze A TTOEA/E Y5 United States Patent 3,429,065 LUGGAGE TAG Donald A. Long, 936 Uclan Drive, Burbank, Calif. 91504, and Walter W. Mosher, In, 738 Fairmount, Burbank, Calif. 91501 Filed Apr. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 629,144 U.S. Cl. 4021 Int. Cl. G09f 3/16, 3/18 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a luggage tag for attaching identification to luggage, and more particularly, to a luggage tag of the type having a pocket into which identification material may be inserted, said tag being engaged with the luggage through some configuration of strap formed thereon.

Various prior forms of luggage tage have been provided, most of which include some form of identification pocket member into which identification material may be inserted to indicate ownership of the luggage to which the tag is attached. Furthermore, many of such luggage tags have included looped straps connected to the identification pocket member adapted for engagement through a handle of the luggage in order to retain the tag thereon. Still further, some means of access into the pocket of the identification pocket member must be provided in order that the identification material may be inserted therein, said access means frequently being a slot formed at one end of the pocket member and through which the identification material may be inserted into the pocket.

One of the major problems in providing luggage tags of the foregoing type has been how to provide an access slot for the pocket of the identification pocket member through which identification material may be easily inserted into said pocket, while still properly retaining the identification material within said pocket during the usual transportation and use of the luggage. If the insertion slot is relatively large and freely accessible, the identification material may be easily inserted therethrough, but at the same time, will be subject to being easily dislodged acci dentally from said pocket. On the other hand, if the access slot is formed relatively small in order to guard against accidental dislodgement of the identification material from the pocket, it is extremely difficult to originally insert the identification material into said pocket.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide a luggage tag having a relatively large access slot formed therein for the insertion of identification material into the pocket thereof, yet once said tag is secured to the luggage, it is virtually impossible for the identification material to become accidentially dislodged from said pocket. The luggage tag of the present invention includes an identification pocket member having a strap thereon connected in such a manner that prior to attachment of the luggage tag to the luggage, the access slot for the identification pocket member is freely accessible and identification material may be easily inserted therethrough into said pocket. Upon the mounting of said luggage tag on the luggage, however, the strap during such mounting is attached to the identification pocket member in such a 3,429,065 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 manner so as to completely obstruct said access slot, making it virtually impossible for the identification material to become dislodged from said pocket.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a luggage tag of the foregoing character wherein the operation of attaching the tag to the luggage by the securement of a free end of the luggage tag strap to the tag simultaneously positions said strap free end overlying and obstructing the access slot for the luggage tag pocket, thereby preventing dislodgment of identification material from said tag pocket once the tag is mounted on the luggage. Only a single fastener is thereby required for performing such dual function. As a result, not only is the luggage tag of the present invention functionally efiicient, but also relatively economical to provide.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing which is for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the luggage tag showing said tag ready for the insertion of identification material in the pocket thereof and prior to engagement of the tag with a piece of luggage;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the luggage tag of FIG. 1 and in the same condition as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along the broken line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view similar to FIG. 2, but with the luggage tag strap looped in luggage engaging form, with the free end of the strap fastened to the pocket member thereof and obstructing the access slot of said pocket member; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along the broken line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of the luggage tag of the present invention includes an identification pocket member, generally indicated at 10', and a fastening strap, generally indicated at 12, both said pocket member and strap being longitudinally elongated, with a secured strap end 14 preferably being formed integral with a part of said pocket member and extending from one end '16 of said pocket member. Both the pocket member 10 and fastening strap 12 are preferably formed of heat sealed plastic materials, such as vinyl, the pocket member necessarily being of double thickness and the strap likewise preferably being of double thickness. The pocket member 10, therefore, includes the opposite sides, a top side 18 being transparent and the bottom side 20* being free of transparency, forming an identification material pocket 22 therebetween.

An access slot 24 extending substantially the complete lateral extent of the pocket member 10 is formed through the bottom side 20 thereof longitudinally adjacent said one end 16, said access slot providing access into the pocket 22 for the insertion of identification material therethrough and into said pocket. A female fastener half 26 is secured through the tab longitudinally outward of and free of interference with the pocket member access slot 24 and the pocket 22, preferably at the point of joinder between the pocket member 10 and the fastening strap 12. Thus, with the fastening strap 12 extending longitudinally and coplanar of the pocket member 10, as shown in FIG. 2, identification material, such as the usual business card 27 (FIGS. 4 and 5), may be inserted through the access slot 24 and into the pocket 22, with the identification on said identification material being exposed through the transparent top side 18 of said pocket member.

A male fastener half 28 is mounted spaced longitudinally inwardly from free end 30' of the fastening strap 12, providing an extremity 32 of said strap free end extending outwardly of said male fastener half and being of importance to the principles of the present invention. Both the female and male fastener halves 26 and 28 are preferably formed of plastic and constitute a snap fastener of the type which, when the female and male halves thereof are engaged, forms a permanent fastening. According to the principles of the present invention, therefore, the fastening strap 12 may be engaged through the handle of a piece of luggage (not shown) and the strap free end 30 looped back to longitudinally overlap and overlie the bottom side of the pocket member 10 engaging the male fastener half 28 with the female fastener half 26 to retain said fastening strap in said looped position, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In such looped position of the fastening strap 12, it will be particularly noted that the strap free end 30 overlies and extends longitudinally inwardly across the pocket member access slot 24, with the extremity 32 of said strap free end being spaced longitudinally inwardly of said access slot. Thus, in such looped and fastened condition of the fastening strap 12, the strap free end 30 overlies and normally obstructs the access slot 24 of the pocket 22, as clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, thereby preventing accidental dislodgcment of identification material from the pocket through the access slot. It is possible, due to the flexibility of the plastic material forming the fastening strap 12 to tightly bend or flex the strap free end 30 longitudinally outwardly in such looped condition to free obstruction of the access slot 24 thereby, but such would require intentional tight bending of the fastening strap free end and could not be caused accidentally.

We have provided, therefore, according to the principles of the present invention, a luggage tag which is relatively simple in construction and economical to provide, yet which has many obvious advantages over the prior luggage tag constructions. Not only is the access slot 24 for the identification material pocket 22 of the tag pocket member 10 freely accessible for the insertion of identification material therein, but once the tag is secured to luggage by engagement of the snap fastener thereof, the fastening strap 12 inherently closes said access slot 24 blocking such slot against accidental dislodgement of the identification material from the pocket 22. Thus, proper retainment of the identification material by the luggage tag of the present invention is always assured.

We claim:

1. In a luggage tag, the combination of: an identification pocket member, access slot means formed through one side of said pocket member communicating into a pocket thereof for the insertion of identification material therethrough and into said pocket; and a strap having a free end, means connecting a portion of said strap spaced from said strap free end to said pocket member free of said access slot means, means connecting said strap free end overlying said pocket member side and extending across said access slot means normally obstructing said access slot means.

2. A luggage tag a defined in claim 1 in which said means connecting said strap free end extending across said slot means includes a selectively engageable snap fastener.

3. A luggage tag as defined in claim 1 in which said pocket member includes a transparent side opposite said one side through which said access slot means is formed; and in which said access slot means is formed adjacent one end of said pocket member.

4. In a luggage tag, the combination of: an identification pocket member having a transparent side and an opposite side, a pocket formed in said pocket member between said sides extending the major portion of the length thereof, access slot means formed through said opposite side of said pocket member and communicating into said pocket for the insertion of identification material therethrough and into said pocket; and a strap having an end secured to said pocket member outward of said pocket and access slot means, said strap member being looped and connected to said pocket member outward of said pocket and access slot means with a free end overlying said pocket member opposite side, said strap free end overlying and extending across said pocket member access slot means normally obstructing said access slot means.

5. A luggage tag as defined in claim 4 in which said strap end secured to said pocket member is integral with a part of said pocket member.

6. A luggage tag is defined in claim 4 in which there is a selectively engageable snap fastener connecting said strap to said pocket member with said free end overlying said pocket member opposite side.

7. A luggage tag as defined in claim 4 in which said strap end secured to said pocket member is integral with a part of said pocket member; and in which there is a selectively engageable snap fastener connecting said strap to said pocket member with said free end overlying said pocket member opposite side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,747 10/1953 Duskin 4021 2,811,797 11/ 1957 Teetor 402l X 3,352,040 11/1967 Javkin 4021 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 40-17 

